Language Classes

No tests or grades in our format, ONLY lots of learning!

At UI, our curricula are structured according to class needs.  Your instruction, language development, cultural education, and overall experience are at the heart of our classes. Students come because they want to learn another language and culture; our teachers teach because they want to share their language and culture.

Upstate International’s Language School is nothing like your high school experience. By joining UI you are getting involved with something larger than just language learning: you receive a strong cultural experience and get together with people from all over the world.

We have provided a comprehensive guide to help you with you language level selection.

See our helpful guide below

Participation requires membership with Upstate International. The once yearly fee provides insurance, utilities, overhead and maintenance, technology, and teacher supplies. The support of our members allows us to keep our classes affordable!

All you need is a way to take notes – whether pen and paper or laptop. Your teacher will let you know if anything else is needed.

Expect a registration confirmation right after registering. After that, you’ll get an introductory message from your teacher a few days before classes start.

If you are enrolling less than a week prior to the class start date, please allow 72h for your teacher to reach out to you, as our staff will have to communicate with them to let them know you are now part of the student roster – UI’s system is not automated. 

To avoid waiting (and to help out our small staff), register as soon as possible 🙂

At UI we keep our classes small to ensure a good learning experience, but we also have a minimum number of students needed to confirm each class. 

For this reason, we ask students to register as soon as possible, not only to save their spot, but also to make sure the class is confirmed – if a certain class is taking too long to fill up, we might switch its level or time in order to accommodate a higher demand.

If a class reaches the maximum number, slots are given on a ‘first come first serve’ basis, which means a student who is not registered may not be able to take the class. Students who register in advance are given priority.

Yes, students may join a class at any time if there is still space in the class, the teacher agrees, and if you are able to keep up with the class level. Of course, if you join a class late, you may need to study a little more to catch up with the class. Please note that if you join during the middle of a session, fees will not be prorated.

Please contact your teacher so that they can provide any missed materials and related notes to you. Individual makeup classes are not provided.

We ask everyone to check the self-assessment table prior to registering for class.

In case you pick the wrong level for you, don’t worry. Students are welcome to switch to a different class if space is available. Please let the teacher and the office know which class you would like to switch to, and we can arrange it. If the level needed is not offered, we will credit you for a class in the following semester. Class level change requests must be made within the first 3 weeks of class. You can reach the Upstate International office by sending an email to [email protected].

Upstate International offers classes for adults, though teenagers are welcome too.

Summer classes may be offered for children on occasion.

Upstate International is not an accredited school and for this reason, is not able to offer certificates for the classes offered. However, if you need a document to prove that you’ve been taking our classes, feel free to reach out to us.

Classes at Upstate International are kept small to ensure learning quality. When you register for them you are saving your seat and therefore keeping someone else from enrolling. As a nonprofit, it is very hard for us to deal with cancellations since we count on every contribution.

For this reason, Language Classes and Memberships are non-refundable.

The only exception to this policy is if you register in advance for a class that does not meet minimum enrollment and is therefore canceled. We will issue you a refund in this scenario.

Keep in mind that the class schedule is shared with students at the beginning of the semester and it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that time is available on their schedule. UI does not prorate Language Classes fees based on student attendance.

We appreciate your understanding and are open to answering any questions you might have about it.

In-person classes are held at the Upstate International Center, at 9 S. Memminger St., Greenville, South Carolina.

If you are enrolled in a virtual class, you will receive access links to all of the classes with your introductory message from your teacher a few days before classes start.

Parking is available at the empty lot on the corner of Memminger and Pendleton Sts. UI has permission for student parking in this lot.

Other parking is available on the Street.

Please do not block driveways or mailboxes as this is a residential street, nor park in the UI Center driveway.

In the event of dangerous winter weather, Upstate International follows the practice of the Greenville County School District in determining whether to close. Thus, if schools are closed, Upstate International is closed and classes are canceled. If a weather situation develops during the day, Upstate International will attempt to notify students of schedule changes. If in doubt, follow the Greenville County school closings.

Generally, we do not hold classes on federal holidays. Please ask your teacher about your class’s particular schedule. Classes may be made up by extending class times or rescheduling to a different day, based on the discretion of the teachers.

Have you read our FAQs section, but still can’t find the answers to your questions? No problem!

The fastest way to have your questions answered about Language Classes is by writing Linley at [email protected].